It's Disgusting
by teenburger
Summary: Ten years after the adventure in the Sinnoh Region, Dawn comes across some old faces after being disconnected from her social life because of her career. A series of events lead her to start thinking some disgusting thoughts about a disgusting person she thought she'd forgotten.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: hey what's up guys and girlies or whatever! I'm back with another fic. I honestly have no idea what I'm going to do or what it's going to become but hopefully it works out for the best. the story is placed ten years after the adventure in Sinnoh region sooo yeah…idk they're older but I'll keep canon ages or something yeah

_xxx_

Dawn wrapped a lock of hair around her curling iron, holding it in place and releasing a bouncy ringlet. She was getting ready for another date, _another disaster_. She frowned into the mirror, watching the reflection repeat the same process as before.

Normally, Dawn thought of prep work as relaxing. She liked who she was—physically. She wasn't terrible looking; actually, she was quite pretty. She didn't like to admit that she was a tiny bit narcissistic, but she was the contest champion in the Sinnoh region for a reason. Not only could she train her pokemon with finesse, she actually had some of her own to back it up. Looks counted for a lot in this world, whether people liked it or not.

But at twenty years old, Dawn was hardly the same girl she was in the past. She had grown up for the most part. She was still a little selfish, conceited, and childish…but it could be covered up by her pretty face. She liked that. No one knew who she really was—unless they were close. All her friends have moved away in the last ten years, but that didn't mean she kept in contact with all of them. Some had definitely…created distance. But mistakes were mistakes and she didn't look back at them regretfully.

_Well, maybe just one or two._

Dawn put her curling iron down on her vanity. She looked at her reflection and smiled. She'd done a good job, just like she always did. The problem was, she now had to go out. She didn't even remember how she met the guy. _What was his name even? Whatever, I'll figure it out. _

Dawn almost hated the dating game now. Too many strikeouts can get a girl disappointed, y'know? All of them seemed so bland too; she was no longer interested in the average joe. Badges, pokemon, whatever they tried to impress her with…it were never enough. After travelling with a pokemon master, it was hardly a contest. She needed something exciting, something _new_. Contest season was coming to an end, as Dawn no longer had anymore to participate in until next season. She won the major title and kept her ranking in Sinnoh—that's all she cared for. She had already travelled from region to region, but Sinnoh was where home was. It was where she was at her prime. She couldn't hold a candle to May and Drew; the dynamic couple ruled the Hoenn region and Dawn couldn't quite grasp the flair those two had. _I'll have to visit them soon_…

Dawn sat up from her stool, her heels clicking against the hardwood floor. She paused for a moment, looking down at the pair of heels she chose. Her nose crinkled. _Maybe I'll come across as too bitchy…_

This wasn't an expensive date by any means. If she looked too formal that would probably reflect badly on her. She decided to go with a cuter pair of wedge heels to go with her sweater dress. It was starting to get colder, but not much. It was the end of August, but along with the warm, humid days came chilly nights.

"Alright," Dawn took a deep breath, clutching the door knob to the outside of her condo, "Here goes nothing." _And remember, not expectations. You __**can't**__ do the same thing over and over._

_xxx_

Dawn lived in the heart of Hearthome City. She was only walking distance for everything. She was only a few blocks from her destination anyway, might as well get the exercise. The breeze was enough to chill her legs through her tights, so she decided to pick up the pace but running in heels wasn't the greatest idea either.

As she turned the corner she noticed something happening a couple blocks over. She checked her phone to see the time; _I guess I can take the scenic route_. Dawn made her way to where the lights were flashing; she could hear the crowd's screams of excitement become more apparent as she closed in on her mystery destination. She noticed it was the city's square, a massive crowd of people were squared around some sort of stage, but there wasn't a stage. No lights, no nothing. There was crashing going on from the center of the crowd; it was a battle.

"There are only a few reasons why a battle could attract so many people." Dawn hummed to herself. She had to get to the center. She weaved through the massive amount of people, dodging elbows and trying not to get stepped on. "Excuse me, yeah, excuse me…sorry!" she stumbled out of the crowd, right near center stage. She looked up from the ground to see someone she didn't expect. Ash Ketchum. What was the Pokemon Master doing here? It didn't really matter, she hadn't heard from him in a long time. In a burst of excitement she waved her hands in the air, calling his name just like she had when she was ten.

An earth quaking boom shook the ground beneath her feet. She caught her footing, realizing that she had front row seats to a fierce pokemon battle. A blow to Ash's Krookodile caused dust to rise on the battlefield. When the smoke cleared she could clearly see that Ash's Krookodile was struggling to even get up. Dawn noticed the smile Ash always gave his pokemon as he withdrew Krookodile from the battle, resting the pokeball on his belt. It was nice to see he still had that sense of battle within him.

"You can do it, Ash! Don't give up!" Dawn tried to holler over the crowd. By some miracle, it seemed Ash noticed her presence. He smiled and bid a wave before sending out his next pokemon for battle. He launched another pokeball out, revealing Oshawott. Dawn figured he wouldn't evolve that little bugger; he had done that for as long as she'd known him. She was unsure how strong Oshawott was compared to the opponent…a very tall Aggron. Her brows quirked at the thought…_I'm sure I've seen that Aggron somewhere_. It was hard to see from Ash's side of the battlefield, but with her eyes squinted she saw the flash of purple hair among the flurry of attacks.

_Is that…Paul?_

_xxx_

Ash had lost. It wasn't a big deal, he had before and that didn't mean it wasn't a good battle. By this time, Dawn had well blown off her date with what's-his-name. Ash allowed Dawn to break through the barrier to come talk to him. It was times like this Dawn actually enjoyed her VIP privileges.

"Hey Ash!" After the security guards cleared Dawn she ran up and hugged the big doofus. "It's been a long time, huh? What're you doing back in Sinnoh?"

"Ah, well, y'know, just roamin' around. There's actually a tournament goin' on in the Battle Zone right now. Just on my way to Snow—"

"—It seems you haven't changed your strategy at all." Both heads turned towards the voice. The arrogance was enough for Dawn to tell who it was before her eyes laid on him. It hadn't changed in ten years and she wasn't surprised in the least. Her eyes slit as he approached the two, his hands rested in his jacket pockets.

"Ash has beaten you before so I'd say it's a _good_ strategy." Dawn sneered. She felt her nose rise in his presence. There was something about him that made her blood boil, but she knew very well what he told her a long time ago. He was nervous about battling Ash, and for good reason. "It seems you haven't changed yours either, so you're one to talk."

"I wasn't talking to you." His glare was enough to make Dawn bite her lip, "Besides, I don't want battling advice from a stage performer, thanks." Before Dawn could retort Ash raised his hand signaling her to stop. Her lips pursed. Ash knew damn well that she'd rip this guy to pieces if he'd let her.

"As I was saying, _Dawn_," Ash looked down at her, his eyes flickering towards Paul, "I'm on my way to Snowpoint City where I can catch the ferry to Battle Zone. No doubt Paul is on his way, right?" Paul grunted in response, but that was to be expected.

"Ahh, I see. Just another big tourney, huh?" Dawn usually kept tabs with tournaments and such, they were mostly broadcasted on television. Contest season was rough this year so she hardly caught any news these days that didn't involve another Ribbon Cup. "Wait. So, what were you guys doing battling in the middle of City Square?"

"This moron and I bumped into each other. He wanted a battle and wouldn't take no for an answer, so we had one right here. It was annoying—it attracted a lot of unneeded attention." Paul pivoted on his heel to leave, but Dawn wouldn't let him leave that easily.

"Hey, wait!" She turned to Ash, "Just wait right here for a second, okay?" She smiled nervously before she jogged after Paul. It was obvious enough by the sound of her heels that she was chasing after him, but the bastard kept on walking. "I said 'wait'! Did you not hear me?" She ran past him, swerving right in front of him. She paused for a breath, "Are you… going to… this tourney?" She asked between huffs. She hadn't realized how jogging in heels could out wind her so quickly. Maybe it was just her temper.

"I don't need to answer that." He said coolly. He continued to walk past her, but she kept trailing beside him.

"So, that's a yes?" Dawn flipped her hair behind her shoulders. She waited for a reply but was graced with Paul's cold glare and an unwelcoming silence. "Fine, have it your way. I think I'll go though. It'll be funny watching Ash beat you in another major tournament." Without waiting for a response she made her way back to Ash, who was still waiting in the place she told him to stay. She stuffed her hands in her dress pockets, feeling rather disappointed for one reason or another. She couldn't put a finger on it.

"What was that about?" Ash's brow quirked at Dawn's returned state. Dawn pouted slightly, looking behind her to see that Paul was gone.

"Nothing. Just telling that punk how it was." Ash laughed, placing his hand on her shoulder and draping his arm around her.

"I bet." He started to walk with her. "Say, are you gonna watch me battle at the Battle Zone? That'd be cool, y'know? I don't think you've watched me live in a couple years." That much was true. Dawn kind of kicked herself in the butt for not staying in much contact with all her friends over the years—she was letting her career become the better of her. She was starting modeling soon as well; a call that couldn't be too far away, so her agent said. She smiled up at Ash, letting him guide her to wherever he was going.

"Ah… yeah I was thinking about it! I mean, I'm free, for now. Contest season is over and I don't think I'm booked for anything else…" A thought popped in her mind, "Hey, where's Misty? Isn't she usually with you?" Ash nodded, he pointed in the opposite direction to where she was going.

"Yeah, I was supposed to be meeting her at a restaurant for reservations and junk. She was with me before I bumped into Paul. She went ahead to make sure we didn't lose our table." He scratched the back of his head, "She's probably pretty mad at me now that I think about it." He looked down at his watch, "And if I don't want her to hate me I should probably be on my way."

"Yeah! Go!" Dawn shoved him off her playfully, "Don't make a girl wait, Ketchum! There'll be hell to pay!"

"I will!" Ash began to dart before halting, almost tripping in the process. "Ah! Wait a sec!" He reached for something in his wallet, "I got this extra ticket to this Gala they're having soon in that real fancy hotel on the island! I guess only trainers and their guests can come so, you should if you got the time." Before Dawn could ask when, Ash passed her the ticket and ran like the wind. Standing on the corner with the ticket in hand, Dawn just headed home.

"That was definitely worth ditching my date…" Dawn examined the ticket closely, "I guess it's in the next couple days. Nice timing, Ash."

_xxx_

Dawn lay on her bed, the ticket in her hand. A thought came across her mind. If this was an exclusive trainer Gala, which means it was for the trainers competing…it probably meant Paul was going to be there. She scrunched her nose at the thought of him. _That guy…_ Dawn rolled over in her bed, placing the ticket on her bedside table.

The only thing that she could say about Paul after ten years of separation…

He was still arrogant.

He still couldn't be bothered to remember her name.

He wasn't _bad_ looking.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: hey what's up guys, i have another chapter up, just like i said. i'm unsure about this one. i had to revise it more than i usually do because i wrote it in ZenWriter instead of word. it was definitely worth trying though! Anyway, enjoy (hopefully)!

xxx

Dawn hastily packed her bags that morning. She wouldn't have been in such a rush if Ash Ketchum gave her the decency to maybe call her about this ordeal instead of springing it on her last night. Although, it was nice catching up with that goof again, Dawn had missed that toothy grin of his. "_Besides_," Dawn thought, folding a shirt and placing it in her suitcase, "_He probably wouldn't have thought of bringing me in the first place if we hadn't bumped into each other_." That saddened her. She hardly knew if she had been a reoccurring thought in her friend's minds, but she couldn't imagine it happened as much as it did for her. She got caught up in her work too much, it seemed.

She tried to think of what was the most appropriate for her little trip to the Battle Zone. Checking the ticket, it did say formal attire, but what did that mean? She folded her arms, tapping her fingers against her skin. Looking at the wide range of dresses, she had no idea what to wear. Surely, hardly anybody had seen her in any of these dresses. Anybody she was close to, anyway. She shook her head; Dawn had this complex where she could only wear one thing once. She usually linked it to the success of the night, or the shoot, or the contest. Each outfit was like a memory, as silly as it sounded.  
"_It seems I'll have to buy something on the way_." Dawn zipped up her suitcase. Shopping somewhere else than Hearthome City would be nice, she'd practically been to every expensive boutique here. Seeing the fashions elsewhere might get her creative juices flowing. If she was going to be a guest at this elite party; she was going to look damn good.

xxx

Dawn boarded the train to Snowpoint City. It wasn't a particularly long trip, but if she wanted some relaxing time at the Resort Area, Dawn wanted to board the train today. It was about a day's trip, so she'd have the sleep in a cabin. Of course, she had enough to book first class, so she did. There was no way she was spending the night with some stranger on a train. It sounded creepy...like a horror movie.  
Her ticket was punched and a caretaker lead her to her cabin. A nice little place, definitely enough for one person for one day. Sometimes Dawn may have thought she came off as a little prissy, but if she had the money, why not spend it? She was hardly a hoarder, she always donated to local charities in rather gratuitous amounts. Maybe it was all a ploy to make people think she was selfless, maybe not...money didn't define her but it seemed really important to others how much she had.

She laid down on the small bed. She rolled over to her back, looking up at the ceiling.  
"I probably should've brought a book..." Dawn rolled over to her side, "_I guess I could just sleep the entire way_." Dawn was restless. She usually liked to move about, but the cabin was far too small for anything like yoga or basic exercise. The train had left the station and she'd be there tomorrow morning, but something was nitpicking at the back of her mind. Never had she been so nervous for a get-together such as this one. She couldn't put a finger on it, but something as specific as 'trainers' only scared her. Not many had paid respects to the Contesting community. Usually it didn't bother her either...but being in a giant hall with nothing but that speculation was not something she preferred.

She sighed, lifting herself up from the bed into a seated position. She watched the rain tap against the window. "I can do this," Dawn rubbed her eyes, "It's just a party-Ash will be there. So will Misty. I won't be alone, for Arceus' sake, I was_ invited_." Dawn let her positive thoughts give her the motivation to get out of the cabin. Now that the train was moving, it probably meant that the dining car was open.

xxx

The dining car was hardly full. Maybe catching the morning train instead of the afternoon one paid off. She didn't need a lot of noise in the morning and the sound of constant chatter was enough to give anyone a headache. Dawn approached the buffet-styled breakfast menu, grabbing a plate and scooping large amounts of food on her plate. Everything looked delicious, how she could say no? She hadn't had time for a proper breakfast anyhow.  
She took a seat in a small booth by the window. The view outside was dreary, but calming. Something about the gentle rain and the tiny rickety sounds of the train meshed well. Having a meal in peace was also a bonus. All of her meals as of late had been connected to meetings about her work. Mostly on the modelling aspect of her career. As stupid as it sounded, she didn't prefer eating a lot in front of those clients...just didn't look right.

"Whatever, no one is here that would care that much anyway." Dawn shoveled a spoon full of hash browns in her mouth, "_I'm still hot. A real bombshell_." At least she could be conceited in her thoughts. The food was really good, she was kind of surprised of the quality, but this was the first class dining car. Train food never sounded appealing to her. Transportation food in general was unappetizing except for cruises...she wanted to go on another cruise.

She heard the murmurs around her and snapped out of her daydream. She looked around to see people whispering to their peers, pointing towards the front of the dining car.

"Isn't that the Sinnoh League Champion?" A mousy young woman piped. Her blonde friend nodded, whispering something into her ear. They both giggled, their smiles nothing short of sly. Dawn raised her brow. She hated people like that. But then again, she was probably that way at some point of her life too. She used to be a nobody, now she was a somebody-sort of. She hated when people snickered, whispered and talked about her. The tabloids were exactly polite either.

Her curiosity was peeked though, she decided to break her attention from the girls to the front of the dining car to see who they were fawning over.  
"Ahh," Dawn rolled her eyes, she should've known. She almost forgot who was claiming the Sinnoh League Champion title. Or she was trying to forget. "Figures." She went back to her meal, she knew making eye contact would only be awkward for her. _"Just keep eating. Get to your cabin. Never come out until you arrive at Snowpoint City_." Seemed like a solid enough plan.

She looked up again. He was coming this way. She put her head down, looking at her plate of food instead. "_Maybe he won't recognize me. He never did. It wouldn't surprise me if he walked right past me_." Dawn almost prayed she was right. One less thing for her to stress about on this trip. Eat her meal in peace, that was the inital plan, was it not?

"Excuse me?" Dawn heard the mousy girl speak up. Dawn's eyes glanced up to see that he was stopped by the snickering girls a couple tables away. "You're Paul, right?" She smiled sweetly, but not so sweet that it was convincing. Dawn was smart enough to see what was going on here. It was funny, this is how Dawn had been getting shitty dates as of late. A fan recognizes you, they act all sweet and kind and then you don't have the heart to say no to their requests.

"_Or maybe that's just me_." Dawn rested her cheek in her palm. Paul simply shook his head to her request, which, by the way, was a date.  
"But you're going to the Trainer's Gala, aren't you? I mean, I'm going to-I was invited." _Ahh_, so this girl was a trainer also going to the tournament. She must have been a great trainer, too bad Dawn had no idea who she was. "I was just thinking, since we're both going we could-"  
"No-thanks." Dawn could see that Paul was trying to be almost polite. Funny how that worked, it seemed the guy was polite to everyone except her and Ash. What a pleasant fellow Paul was.

"Aww, why not? It'll be fun. Besides, you got no one else to go with-" This girl kept pressing. Dawn's brow furrowed. Now this was just getting embarrassing. She sort of felt bad for Paul. She hated being pressed by people.

"No, I've already said I'm not interested." Paul frowned. Dawn could see his patience was wearing thin. She was surprised how well he'd been handling it. It seems his threshold for his temper was a little more well controlled now. This girl though, whoever she was, was even wearing at Dawn's patience. Something about her ignorance just annoyed her. It didn't matter who she was, he said no.

"Well-"

"-He said no." Dawn's broke the girl's sentence with a mouth full of hash browns She swallowed them before she continued. "That should be enough, don't you think?" The two girls and Paul looked back at her, the eavesdropper, from two tables across. She shrugged before returning to her plate, kind of regretting saying something already. "_Maybe they'll just let it slide..._" She thought, spooning more hash browns into her mouth.

"Excuse me? Who are you?" The brunette girl leaned over her table to get a better look at Dawn. Dawn just looked back, wishing she had prepared her looks better that morning. She didn't really have the upper hand in that department and now that she was being confronted her self esteem dwindled.  
"Does it matter who I am?" Dawn said with her mouth full. Dawn was a model and a Contest Champion, but that didn't mean her eating habits were top notch as well. "I don't want to hear you making a fool of yourself, I'm suffering from second hand embarrassment over here." Looking at this girl was painful. She was pretty...but her glare cut Dawn to pieces. Dawn had a feeling she was a the playground bully as a kid.

"Well, if you're not of any importance, then stay out of my conversations. As I was saying-" Her attention turned to Paul, who was on his way over to Dawn's booth. Dawn shrank a little as he approached. He was probably going to scold her or something stupid like that. "Hey!" Obviously she was calling for Paul's attention, but he ignored her. Instead he stood right in front of Dawn's table, looking down at her. Dawn looked up, chewing the inside of her cheek.

"What's with the face?" She spat.

"That's a lot of food for one woman, don't you think?" The corner's of Paul's mouth tugged a bit, in form of a familiar smirk.

"Har, har." She frowned. "What do you want? Aside from making fun of me."

"I'm going to sit here." The seriousness of that statement surprised Dawn. She cocked her brow in suspicion. There was no way Paul would just sit with her because he wanted to. Hell, Dawn didn't want to believe he did. She hated the guy and she was pretty sure the feeling was mutual. But as he said, he placed his tray down and slid into the seat across from her. She couldn't stop staring at him, dumbfounded. She shook her head and returned to eating; maybe she could pretend he wasn't there at all.

A stale air was between them. It was rather awkward for her and she could imagine it was the same for him...but he decided to sit with her. She never knew what to say to the guy, unless he was being a massive asshole. She wasn't going to be the one to press small talk either; she hardly knew the dude, in a sense. She hadn't forgotten him, but ten years apart with hardly any ground for some kind of relationship was just weird.  
"Why are you sitting here?" Dawn asked in a hushed tone. She had noticed the girl still eyeing them from her table. Dawn didn't want her listening in on her conversation.

"I wanted them to leave me alone." He played with the food on his plate, circling an egg yolk with his fork. "If they think I'm with you, they will."_ Always the lady killer with his good looks and charm_. Dawn shifted her egg on her toast, taking a bite. It was sad how the sound of her chewing was filling the silence.

"Yeah, well, now I look bad." Dawn said in between bites, "I'm probably going to get glared at and/or interrogated or something, thanks to you."

"Thanks to me?" His voice lowered, "You brought this on yourself. If you didn't speak up, I wouldn't have come over here and they wouldn't have noticed you either." He rested his cheek in his palm, smiling devilishly. "_You_ dug yourself that grave, moron."

"Ahh, thanks for that insight." Dawn sneered. "_Great_." She kept all the other sentence options to herself. It wouldn't work out well for her if Paul got up and left. No matter what she would do it look bad. She was caught in a stupid situation because she couldn't keep her big mouth shut. She huffed.  
"I guess it's evident now. You're going that tournament, aren't you?" Dawn smiled, she knew that Paul wouldn't refuse a challenge on this scale. It'd be another achievement on his already wonderful reputation. "That girl was asking you to that Gala, wasn't she?" She looked over at the table, which was now empty. She wasn't surprised. "A girl like that seemed like a real catch, I'm surprised you said no to such a unique beauty."

Paul only scoffed, leaning back into his cushioned seat. His arms were folded, his attention was directed towards the window. "She's a pain in the ass. I don't even know who she is. Some prissy woman who thinks shes on the same level as me." Ahh, that's where the arrogance Dawn knew was. For all he knew that girl could be a better trainer than him. She smiled at the thought of Paul getting his ass beat by her in the tournament, but for his sake, she would hope not. That girl was nothing less than a snob.

"I don't know, she was pretty confident..."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" His stare narrowed and Dawn felt a chill go up her spine. Dawn bit her lip and shook her head.  
"Nothing." She played with a loose strand of hair, "It's not like I know many people from the Trainer side of society She looked like another nobody to me." Except the fact that she was gorgeous, but Dawn left that part to herself. "I'm going to go watch Ash, that's all."

"Well, I hope you're accustomed to watching him lose by now." He started to rise from his seat, "I'm not losing to a pushover like him." Dawn could feel herself tug on her hair in annoyance.

"You're half the trainer he is. You just don't like his methods because they're more successful than yours." She rose from her seat, almost standing toe-to-toe with Paul. "Maybe instead of trying to perfect your stupid methods, you could pick up on others and learn from them. I wouldn't be surprised if you were just the same as you were back then." She pressed her finger to his chest, pushing on it as she leaned closer, "And I'm going to laugh if I'm right."

Dawn broke the eye contact to gather her plates and return them to the buffet station. She could feel the heat rise from her chest to her face. There was something about his arrogance that gave her the confidence to stand up to him. She couldn't understand whether that was bad or not, but damn did it ever feel good.

xxx

The whole rest of the train ride, Dawn had managed to avoid Paul. She was relieved that she didn't see him at lunch or dinner, she was left to eat in peace. She did see the girl again, whom she learned her name was Laura by her magical talent of eavesdropping.  
She hopped off the train, her luggage trailing behind her. Dawn was beginning she brought too much, but she really had no idea how long this tournament was going to take. Ash hardly told her anything...and she was unsure that he actually knew himself. All that mattered was that she boarded that ferry by this afternoon. Until then, she was free to roam around.

Hailing a cab, she decided to head into the heart of the city to do some shopping. She needed something for this Gala. Not to make her stand out too much...hell, she wanted to stand out. It was in her nature. In that environment at least. Center stage is where she really belonged but she could fulfill that need if she could draw a couple pairs of eyes her way at that fancy party.

xxx

Dawn looked at the mannequins clad in gowns and cocktails dresses. Through the glass she could definitely see how much she'd probably be spending. Dawn made a decent living with her work but paying so much for one thing may have felt good for a while but she was usually struck with buyer's remorse.

"Dawn? Is that you?" Dawn's head turned at the mention of her name. The ginger-haired woman standing in front of her was a face she knew and had met a couple of times. She was polite, but hot-headed and she definitely knew how to pack a punch.

"Misty!" Dawn was pleasantly surprised to see Misty here. Although, her an Ash were probably going to be taking the same ferry to the Battle Area that very day...it made more sense as to why she was here. "What'cha doin' out here?" Dawn looked around her, "Ash off doing stuff?" Misty nodded.

"He's lucky he isn't here, I'm still pissed at him for the other night-seriously, what idiot has a battle right before dinner reservations?" Misty folded her arms, "Are you doing some window shopping?" Dawn smiled nervously, looking back at the mannequins she was staring at.

"Uh...yeah. Sort of. I need to get a dress for tomorrow night but I don't know the dress code regulations..." Her voice trailed off as she looked back at Misty. Misty arched a brow.

"Ash didn't tell you anything, did he?" Dawn smiled as she predicted Misty already knew the answer to that question. Misty put her hand on Dawn's back, guiding her into the boutique they were standing in front of. "Oh well, I guess I'll help you out. A cocktail dress should be fine."

xxx

"How about this one?" Misty threw another dress over the door of the dressing room. Dawn took it, holding it in front of her first. It was cute, a simple black dress. Sleek, sweetheart neckline with a bit of ruching.

"Thanks, it looks cute!" Dawn slipped the one she was wearing off, plucking her feet out of the dress and pulling the other one over her head.  
"So, you were saying that you met Paul on the train here?" Misty's slightly muffled voice came through the door. Dawn was just telling her about the train ride to Snowpoint City.

"Yeah, and this crazy girl. I don't even know what happened, it was just a big mess." Dawn looked over her shoulder and zipped up the side of the dress. "He came and sat by me so she'd leave him alone and he ended up getting on my nerves." She ran her fingers through her hair and organized it in the mirror before walking out of the dressing room. "I think I like this one a lot," Dawn smoothed out the dress, "Nice choice, Mist." She turned around and faced the mirror on the door.

"What was he saying?" Misty leaned against the wall behind her, watching Dawn absorb herself in her looks. Dawn pulled her hair up to see how it looked with the dress._ Not bad_.

"Saying Ash was a pushover," Dawn heard Misty snort at the comment, "So I put him in his place. There's no way he's going to win against Ash. The other night was a fluke." Dawn turned back to Misty, "Ugh...he just pisses me off, that guy..."  
"Well he doesn't seem like the nicest of folk." Misty gestured to the dress, "You getting that one?" Dawn nodded. She looked down at the dress, checking the price tag. Flipping it over, the price made her smile into a frown. She cursed herself for spending this much on a dress, but it was designer and it was for something important.

"You could have worn something you already owned, idiot." Dawn thought to herself. She returned to the dressing room and slipped the dress off, putting her clothes back on and preparing for the massive whole in her bank account. "He's going to the Gala too, I think. If they're required to go; because I hardly see Paul going to a party for fun. So hopefully I don't punch that smug look right off his face and get us all kicked out."

"I honestly wouldn't be offended if you did."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: hey guys! sorry for being so late on this, i had actually finished writing this for a while now but getting to edit it was a real pain in the ass. i'm working full time now so finding time to write and edit is hard these days, but i never said i'd give up! here's chapter 3, a little bit of a lengthy one but i hope it was worth it! thanks!**

Dawn swiped the card key and unlocked her hotel room, rolling her luggage behind her as she entered. The room was extravagant, she wondered if Ash knew that this was going to be this pricey of a trip when he initially invited her. She didn't ask for such an elegant suite, but was given one anyway. It seemed all the lower level rooms were already taken.

"Cheap trainers...it's not like I'm made of money." Dawn shook her head and lugged her suitcase onto her bed, unzipping it to reveal her newly bought dress concealed in a plastic cover. _This was expensive too..._ Dawn frowned, laying it out on her bed. Sooner or later, she'd have to get ready, the Gala would be hosted in the ballroom in a matter of hours. She walked over to her window, her arms folded. The sun was almost setting, an orange glow hued the rest of the island. There were still people flocking into the building, most likely trainers who came to compete...it seemed like there was going to be a lot of hot-shots at this party.

Dawn sighed, plopping herself down on her bed, her gaze met the whirling blades of the ceiling fan. She watched them spin for a couple minutes, trying to relax herself. She was nervous, still, after trying to prep herself for the engagement over the past 24 hours. She didn't want to make a fool of herself, more so, she didn't want to embarrass Ash or Misty; the Pokemon Champion and his Gym Leader girlfriend. Those two were like the power duo of the training world and Dawn definitely wasn't. She wasn't even sure she was the top of the contesting world. She'd have to compete Drew or May for that title and those two were _very_ experienced and well known.

It seemed Dawn was second place for everything, as much as she didn't want to believe it. She knew she was a damn good coordinator and now a model of all things. She had opportunities and she _was_ well known...but not around these parts. She could talk to people...maybe. It'd been a long time since she traveled with Ash, she hardly watched any battles, or tournaments. Hell, she hardly knew how to battle anymore. Everything she specialized in was performance based, so she really couldn't relate to anybody's battle tactics.

"Maybe...I'll just stick with Ash and Misty." _Yeah, and keep my mouth shut unless I'm prompted_. She sat up, looking at the time. She'd had better start getting ready unless she wanted to be fashionably late. She began to undress, slipping out of her comfortable travel clothes. She pulled the dress over her head, wiggling her arms to shimmy it down. Her head popped out of the fabric, finally being able to lower it properly. She twisted her torso to reach the zipper in the back, her fingers anxiously looking for it. A slight feeling of success boosted through Dawn as she was able to reach it and zip up the dress.

"Alright, step one...done," She rummaged through her suitcase, pulling out her toiletries and make up bag, "step two..." She sat herself down at the vanity and got to work. She was trying to get into practice of doing her own make up again. She usually had artists do that for her before shows so she was out of practice. Dawn put the finishing touches on her face, sliding the lip gloss across her lower lip. She pressed her lips together and opened them with a pop. Dawn curled the ends of her hair, running her fingers through them to create a gentle beach wave. Something simple, nothing special. She smiled at her reflection._ Lookin' good_.

There was a knock at the door, Dawn looked over her shoulder and quirked a brow. She gazed at the clock and noticed there was still plenty of time...and she didn't ask for an escort either. Dawn got up from her seat, unlocking the door and seeing Misty on the other side.

"Hi Dawn, I was just wondering if you'd...help me out with some things."

xxx

Dawn leaned in closer, pulling the brush out of the tube. She mimicked the face she wanted Misty to do to properly apply the mascara. Misty did so and Dawn let the brush glide up her eyelashes, creating a satisfying length. Dawn stepped back, putting her hands on her hips.

"There." She smiled, proud of herself, "Your make up is done. Take a look." Misty swerved around in her chair to look at herself in the vanity. She looked pleased as punch but not so much as shocked by her appearance Dawn noticed Misty touch her new face, just to make sure. "I'm surprised you asked me to help you with this. Not that I didn't want to, I'm actually flattered you came to me." She laughed nervously, "I guess this is the one thing I know." Misty turned to face her, her brow raised. She was smirking, the tomboy was still in her, it never left as she aged. She was far into her twenties, a very smart woman, from the times she met Misty when she was young Dawn never predicted Misty would become the person she was today. She looked surprisingly elegant.

"Don't say that. You're good at a lot of things." Misty stood up from the seat, "It's probably worse that I'm 27 and have no idea how to do my own make up." She placed a hand on Dawn's shoulder, her heels making her quite taller than Dawn. "I'm always nervous at these shin-digs. I never learned how to be feminine like my sisters, so I had to adapt as my life became more involved into this junk." Dawn felt relieved that even Misty, a well renowned gym leader, was also nervous. She had every right to be here...had lots of fans, lots of triumphs, lots of experience...but she was still nervous. A sheepish laughed escaped Dawn's mouth.

"Well, you look great. I think Ash would approve, along with others. I'm glad I could help." Misty smiled at Dawn, making her heart warm.

"Thanks again." Misty looked down at her watch, "We should probably get going though, I told Ash I'd only be a while." Dawn nodded and followed her lead out of her hotel room. Misty took lead down the hallway, until they met with Ash who was waiting by the elevators. Dawn could see how surprised Ash was as his eyes widened, his expression quickly melting into a genuine smile. He thought Misty looked beautiful and it made Dawn happy to witness that moment.

"You guys look awesome." Ash grinned, slapping Dawn on the back, almost making her lose her balance. She questioned why she decided to wear such gaudy pumps, but at least she knew how to walk in them...she wasn't sure about dancing. "You guys are under my name and everything, so just stick with me until we get down there."

xxx

"Ahh, wow..." Dawn was almost in awe at how beautiful the ballroom was. Chandeliers of gold lit the room in a brilliant flash of warm light. It was elegant, carpeted with a teal and green pattern-it felt very regal walking in. The area in the middle was floored with marble that reflected the light with a brilliant shine. Dawn looked at Misty who almost shared the same expression. It was good to know she wasn't the only surprised. The hotel on the outside just looked like any other hotel chain...but inside was a different story.

Dawn followed Ash and Misty's lead, weaving their way through the crowd that was already there. Dawn didn't expect there was going to be this many people attending, which meant there was a lot of people who were entered into the competition...excluding guests like her. She looked around, not even really recognizing any of the face she came across. _Great..it seems I'm going to be glued to Ash and Misty all night_. It wasn't that Dawn didn't want to spend the night with her friends, she just felt bad that she had to use them as a crutch. She could converse usually, she was quite social actually, this was just...not her crowd.

"Hey, Dawn." Dawn resurfaced to the real word by the sound of her name. It was Ash. "You want a drink?" Dawn nodded her head.

"That'd be great, actually." She gestured to Misty, "I'll have what she's having." Ash left her and Misty to fetch some much needed alcohol (or at least, Dawn thought so) leaving her to people watch. Misty seemed to be attracting some people towards them already. A couple of younger trainers, it seemed. No one too special and worth remembering. But they were sweet and kind and seemed very excited to meet the Cerulean City gym leader. None of them asked for Dawn's name and neither did that bother her. She'd prefer to be the shadow of a great trainer like Misty.

Dawn took her attention elsewhere, looking around the ballroom. Most of the people here were well dressed, not the latest trends, but nice enough. Dawn noticed a girl with a beautiful rose coloured dress, it grazed the floor, very Grecian goddess-like. It was beautiful, to say the least. Dawn sort of wish she went for that look instead. The girl turned around to face her and Dawn's jaw dropped. _It's that brat from the train! Unbelievable..._

Here she was, coming towards them. Her eyes fixated on Dawn, not Misty, as she approached closer Dawn tried to scoot behind Misty. Misty turned her head as she watched her friend slide behind her.

"That's the girl from the train." She whispered into Misty's ear. Misty's puzzled expression faded as she made an 'o' shaped from her mouth. "She's coming this way too. Be cool." Misty smirked.

"I really don't think you're the one who should be telling me that."

"Ahh, so I guess you were invited her too, I guess that makes you a somebody, huh?" Her voice was almost like nails on a chalkboard to Dawn. She almost shuddered, but kept her cool. Misty seemed to have stepped out of Dawn's way. Dawn tried to smile politely although she was nervously biting her cheek.

"Yes." She cleared her throat, "I'm with my friend Misty, whom you may know is the Cerulean City gym leader." The girl smiled, raising her hand out to shake Misty's. Misty returned the favor, smiling. Although Dawn could probably determine her true thoughts.

"Charmed. The name is Laura." She flipped her hair behind her shoulder and returned to glaring at Dawn, "But I already know who Misty is, I was asking you who you were. I believe I never got the chance to get your name?" Dawn's eyes almost slit.

"Dawn is a coordinator. The finest in Sinnoh. You earned the title again this year, didn't you?" Misty placed a hand on her shoulder. Dawn nodded, thanking Misty with a smile.

"Yeah, I just finished up contest season. Now I'm back to modelling, I've got a few clients lined up already." Dawn's nose was slightly risen in the air. _Take that_.

Laura didn't seem impressed at all. Dawn wouldn't figure that she would have been, but either way, Dawn was sure to have at least more achievements than this girl. Laura smiled though, cunning and in-genuine.

"That sounds great I can only expe-" Her sentence stopped dead and her eyes were directed elsewhere. Dawn turned around to see what was so interesting behind her. Dawn rolled her eyes. _Of course_. Dawn chose to ignore the eyesore and instead watch Laura gain composure once more. She straightened herself out, not really caring that Misty and Dawn were watching her prep herself.

"Hey, I'm back." Ash returned with the drinks in hand, passing them to the two ladies. He noticed Laura's presence and was about to open his mouth before Misty shook her head, mouthing "No". Ash just went with it and returned to Misty's side. He noticed Dawn's eyesore from across the room.

"Hey, Paul!" Ash flagged him over. Dawn couldn't see if Paul would actually answer to Ash and come over, but she certainly hoped he wouldn't. _Why would he anyway? He never does what people tell him to do_.

"So you're here." Dawn could feel his presence behind her. She sighed, turning herself around to face the scowl. She took a sip of whatever Ash got her from the martini glass she was holding. She rolled her eyes as she did so, only to accentuate the fact that she didn't want to talk to him. She never did. Dawn only got mad after doing so. Regardless, she answered his question.

"Yes, I'm here, Paul." He just ignored her, immediately noticing Laura behind Dawn. His brows furrowed. For a moment Dawn felt happy that Laura was here, only because it bothered Paul. The only thing she was good for thus far.

"Excuse me, but do you know each other?" Laura inquired, the sugary sweet tone in her voice made Dawn want to hurl. _Geez, what a little..._ Dawn refrained herself from going there and answered Laura's question instead.

"Yes, we know each other." _For ten years unfortunately_. "We're not-"

"She's my date." Paul cut her off. Dawn's eyes widened. She turned to look at him. He must of noticed the shock and probably terror cast on her face. He only glanced at her and smirked. Dawn raised a brow._ He isn't seriously doing this, is he?_ Paul wanted her to play along. Dawn's eyebrows furrowed as she backed into him. If he wanted her to play along, she was going to give a show. She wrapped her free arm around his right, stuck inside his pocket as always. Misty looked at her, puzzled. Dawn only shrugged slightly, she hardly knew what she was doing.

"You two didn't seem that close earlier..." Laura sneered, her focus on Dawn. Dawn frowned. Obviously this chick wasn't going to take that as an answer._ How stubborn_. _Why don't you just leave?_ "How long have you two been dating?" Dawn felt the nudge of Paul's elbow to her side._ Oh, you want me to answer this one?_ She looked up at Paul only to see his eyes on her. His brow knitted in place; he was quite serious. _You're a disgusting liar_. Only, Paul didn't want to actually say anything. It would only bruise his already large ego. As if he'd ever say he was in a relationship and cared for another human being aside from himself. Dawn didn't even know what to say since she was being put on the spot by two people. Paul was getting what he asked for though, as Dawn was only going to leak words like vomit.

"A couple months, nothing too serious. But I've know Paul for a long time, haven't I?" Dawn smiled rather snidely, looking up at Paul for reassurance. His expression hardly changed, he was either angry or he got a lot better at hiding his emotions. Dawn figured it was the latter. Paul just nodded, grunting slightly. _Charming_. Laura's smile was growing weak and tiring to look at. Dawn prayed that'd she'd leave soon so she could unhook herself from Paul and continue the night drinking her worries away.

"Ahh, I see. Well, I hope to see you at the tournament " Laura excused herself from the conversation. Dawn watched her walk away from them, waiting for the right distance so she could free herself. Once Laura was no longer in her sight she slid her arm out of the lock and sighed deeply.

"Arceus...I thought'd she never leave." Dawn rolled her eyes while she downed the rest of her beverage. She almost slammed it down on the table nearest to them. "What a persistent little thing-ugh, she just irks me something fierce!" Ash and Misty only smiled nervously. Misty patted Dawn's back.

"You got the patience of a saint, m'dear." She passed Dawn her glass, which she took without much consideration and downing it as well. Dawn's lips puckered slightly as she shook her head. The briny taste of alcohol was really strong in that one. She gave the glass back to Misty. "But what're you going to do now? Apparently you're dating. She's probably going to tell her friends and that shit usually spreads like wildfire, trust me." Dawn looked at Misty worriedly. She hadn't really thought about it...if word got out that the Sinnoh's champion and leading coordinator were dating, it'd probably hit the tabloids._ Maybe not...but I'd rather not take the chance...god dammit_.

"Why'd you have to put me on the spot like that?" Dawn jabbed her finger into Paul's arm, "Now because of that little stunt you pulled, I'm your stupid girlfriend!"

"Stupid is right." Paul scratched the back of his head, ignoring the glare Dawn was piercing through the side of his head. "You could have said we were friends."

"Well, why didn't you say something then, genius!" Dawn put her hands on her hips, "I can't believe you're blaming me for this. You're the one that said I was your 'date'. Just to get her out of your hair, right?" She gestured her hand to the direction Laura went. "Well, she's gone but now we got another problem. You could have just told her the harsh truth. It's not like you're short on your rudeness quota."

"Will you shut up for five seconds?" Paul seethed. He was getting annoyed, Dawn could see that much. But she didn't really care at that moment. They were both mad over something really stupid and both of them we're too stubborn to admit their faults.

"Yes, Paul. I will shut up for five seconds." Dawn rolled her eyes, looking over at Misty and Ash who were surprisingly still standing next to her. "Ash, where is the open bar?" Ash pointed to the direction hesitantly Dawn knew he didn't really want to tell her, but over the years Ash grew to understand that Dawn's temper was not to be toyed with. "You guys have fun, you'll know where to find me." Before leaving she took the last chance to glare at Paul while sober.

xxx

Dawn watched as people passed her by. She had been planted on the same bar stool for Arceus knows how long, she hadn't been minding in the time. Not that she was 100 percent aware with what was going on around her. She looked down at the glass cupped in her hands. Empty._ When did I finish this?_ She lost count with how many glasses were pushed her way. She tried to count on with her fingers, losing count after the first three she had. Dawn shrugged it off. _It doesn't matter_.

She rested her cheek in the palm of her hand. She leaned against the counter, resting her chest upon it. She closed her eyes...she was getting drowsy. It was definitely late, that was for sure.

"You're _still_ here?" Dawn turned her head to see Paul, sitting down on the stool beside her. He hunched over, looking at her face. Dawn frowned. At least he got dressed up a little. He's still wearing that dumb jacket. Oh well, at least he looks decent. He waved his hand in front of her face. Dawn clicked in. She hadn't said anything and was analyzing his goddamn outfit. _Wait, what did he say?_

"Nope." Dawn guessed that it was a yes or no question. Whether or not it was the correct answer didn't really matter to her right then."What're you doing?" It was obvious enough that he was sitting at the open bar, "I mean, here. What are you doing here."

"I was asked to check up on you." He took the empty glass from her, sliding it over to his side of the counter. "They were busy talking to the Ambassador of the Tournament or something- they asked me."

"Oh, and you listened to them? I didn't know you could be so obedient " Dawn smirked, sliding the glass back to her side of the counter. "I still need that, thanks." She was sort of surprised that Ash and Misty hadn't come to fetch her themselves, but she guessed whatever they were doing was important. Dawn knew her resentment was the alcohol talking.

"No. You don't." Paul plucked it from her hands and placed it on the other side of him so she couldn't reach it within arm's distance. "You're stupid enough to die from alcohol poisoning if someone's not watching you." He wasn't smirking. The scowl was apparent enough that he didn't want to play the baby-sitter.

"I've only had like," Dawn paused for a moment, "not that much." Paul only raised a brow. He rubbed the back of his neck with his palm before sliding off the stool. He grabbed her wrist, prompting her to get up.

"I believe you, but maybe it's time to go back to your room." Dawn followed the slight tug of his hand and slid off the stool. Her shoes met the floor again, her balance wobbly and insecure as her first step caused her to fall into Paul's torso. "Are you going to be able to walk in those?" Dawn looked down at her heels, clicking them together. _But they're pretty..._

"I think..." Dawn's head was still pressed into Paul's dress shirt. She stumbled back slightly, letting Paul's hold on her keep her steady.

"I don't." He pointed to her shoes, "Take them off, you can put them back on after we get to your room." Dawn nodded, thinking it was an alright compromise. Her judgement wasn't much higher than that of a seven year old's, so she just listened to what he told her to do.

"Okay, I guess." She leaned down and slipped her heels off, carrying them together in her hand. Paul started to lead her out of the ballroom area. Dawn noticed there were much less people in the room than before, which made her question how late it actually was.

"Dawn! There you are!" Dawn's attention was pulled toward the sound of her name. Misty jogged over, a look of concern washed over her face. "I was worried, are you okay?" Dawn grinned widely, patting Misty on the shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah! I'm okay!" Dawn looked over Misty's shoulder and saw Ash coming from behind, "Hey, Ash!" Dawn waved and smiled when Ash waved back. Misty looked placed both hands on her shoulders, her face very serious.

"I've been looking everywhere for you, you know." The corner's of Dawn's mouth declined slightly. She looked really worried...but that's right! Paul got her.

"Paul came and found me, he told me that you were guys were busy so he was asked to come get me and he's taking me back to my room." Misty's face looked confused. She looked up at Paul only to notice he couldn't look back at her.

"I...Dawn, we didn't-"

"I'll take her back to her room, don't worry about it." Paul reassured, fixating his stare on Misty. Misty raised her brow. Dawn couldn't pick out what was going on between them, but she didn't really care. She just smiled that goofy smile.

"Alright! Let's go." Dawn pushed Paul's back, forcing them to part with her two worried friends._ Geez, what's up with them?_ After a few seconds she got tired of pushing and figured Paul probably didn't like it. He lead her out of the room, with the lack of people needing to weave through they made it to the lobby quite quickly. They stood in front of the elevator, waiting for it to arrive.

"What floor is your room on?" Paul pressed the up button again. Dawn rocked back and forth on her heels, her hands behind her back carrying her shoes.

"Uh...fifteen floor, I think?" She thought about it for a second, "My room number is 1519. So yeah, I guess that's it." When the elevator arrived, they were the only ones to ride on it. Dawn watched Paul punch in the button for her floor. She hummed along to the song playing in the silence. She couldn't put a finger on it, it seemed Paul was a lot different tonight than usual. _Why is that?_ She could see him in her peripherals. His hands were in his pockets, the somehow straight slouch. He was scuffing his shoe against the floor, looking down at his feet.

"What?" Paul's monotone question made Dawn's eyes flicker to his. She brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, looking away embarrassed.

"Nothing." She said softly._ I have to stop doing that_. The elevator dinged, the doors flew open to reveal the carpeted halls of the fifteenth floor. They stepped out of the elevator. Dawn watched the doors close behind them as the elevator would descend down to pick up some more passengers from the party. For a moment she thought of Ash and Misty. She hoped they'd get back to their room at a reasonable time, Ash had a long day ahead of him tomorrow. Which means Paul did too.

As they reached her hotel room, Paul slowed to walk behind her. Dawn stood before her door, watching Paul saunter over at a sluggish pace. She looked at him and smiled, she was rather thankful that he brought her here.

"Thanks." She placed her hand on the handle, "For bringing me here. I mean-" Dawn sighed. She was just a jumble of words...and over what? She'd like to blame her slight tipsiness but the effects were slowly wearing off. She was becoming more aware of things that were happening around her. She turned the handle. It was locked.

"Don't mention-"

"It's locked." Dawn blurted. She was staring at the door and couldn't figure out why it wasn't opening. Then it clicked. Dawn pried opened the top of her dress and slipped her hand inside the fabric. _It's not there_. She couldn't believe she was that stupid to bring nothing to the Gala except for the clothes on her back. She forgot the card key. It was inside her room. She looked back up at Paul nervously. She bit her lip. "I...don't have my key."

"You don't have your key?" Dawn could hear the nerve he had in his voice, "Where is it?" Dawn pointed to her hotel room door. She watched Paul rolls his eyes. He rubbed his temples as he probably processed hundreds of insulting words to call her right then.

"What time is it?" Paul looked took out his phone and showed it to her. It was almost midnight...that meant that the front desk was definitely closed that this time, which meant she couldn't get a spare key tonight.

"Do you know where Ash's room is?" Dawn shook her head no. The whole time she was talking to Misty earlier that day she never bothered to ask where their room was. They never told her, but she'd never thought she'd need to really know. Maybe that was just stupid of her._ Besides...there probably wouldn't be anything room for me...though I don't know how big Ash's suite is_.

"They never told me...so I don't know." Dawn suddenly felt nervous. Where would she stay for the night? Would she just have to camp outside her room until the morning? Well, there was one other option. She didn't want to ask. She chewed the inside of her cheek.

"Can..." She glanced up for some minor eye contact, "-never mind." Paul huffed.

"Fine."

xxx

Paul slid the card through the reader. He opened the door to his suite, located a couple floors above Dawn's. She could definitely see the special treatment some of the more...accomplished trainers got from agreeing to take part in the tournament. She walked in after him, closing the door behind her. _This is so big...unreal_. It definitely had a lot of room. The bed was most likely a king, judging from the size in the dark. Paul flicked on a lamp and the room was lit enough for Dawn to see where she was going. Immediately to her left she noticed the unnecessarily large bathroom. Dawn was beginning to think this place was double the size of her room and most likely it was.

"Here." Paul chucked a pillow and a blanket at Dawn before she could properly react. The pillow rested in her arms while the blanket landed on her head. She pulled it off, observing what he'd thrown at her. She raised a brow.

"Where am I sleeping?" Dawn watched Paul point to the love seat located directly across from the bed. She pouted, it wasn't really what she wanted. She paid for a high quality bed, goddammit! _But I guess this is what I get for locking myself out_. Paul was organizing his things, while Dawn walked over to her 'bed'. She laid the blanket over it and placing the pillow at the arm. She looked over to Paul who was hanging his jacket in the closet.

"What?" Dawn opened her mouth to speak before closing it. She always hesitant to ask him something, in case she would get an insult in retort. Tonight was different though. Or so she thought.

"Do you have a shirt or something?" She gestured to her dress, "I can't sleep in this."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious!" Dawn snapped in a hush tone, "This was expensive and I'd rather keep it in good condition " He threw his arms up slightly, smacking them on his sides. A little exaggerated but he was most likely tired. Dawn had certainly kept him up. Paul was certainly being nicer than usual this night, but she knew his patience would eventually wear thin. She watched as he threw a t-shirt her way. She caught it, holding it up to see how big it was. _Enough_. "Thanks." His response was a grunt, as per usual.

Dawn reached behind her, trying to get a hold of the zipper. Zipping down was always harder than zipping up for her. She stood there idly, before turning to Paul. She smiled nervously, it was kind of obvious she need help.

"Why is getting you in bed a goddamn operation." That was more of a statement than a question. Dawn hushed him as she turned around, lifting her hair off her back. She felt Paul's hand graze down her back. As the dress loosened she grabbed the front to prevent it from falling down.

"I didn't know you wanted me in bed so badly." Dawn cocked her head back, flashing him a devilish smirk. Stone-faced. _Of course_.

"Shut up." He flicked the lamp light off, leaving Dawn to get dressed in the dark. In the darkness she heard him shuffle to bed.

Obviously a signal that Dawn peeved him off with that last remark. She frowned. _Geez...get a sense of humor_. She pulled the shirt over her head and climbed into the make-shift bed. Dawn felt very cramped on such a tiny couch. Her feet somehow hung out for the other arm. It was pretty uncomfortable.

"Hey Paul." An irritated grunt came from the other side of room. Acknowledgement. "Can I sleep with you instead?" She heard a snort like laugh...maybe?

"You're still half out of the bag, aren't you?" Paul asked. She couldn't really tell anymore. She most likely still was, but why would that matter? "Don't answer that."

"I wasn't going to. " Dawn hissed, rolling over to face the couch cushions. "Ass."

"You're the ass. You're the one who locked yourself out of your room."

"Not on purpose!" She sat up, "I'm just, you know, used to better than a couch?"

"Why are you so fucking whiny?" Dawn groaned rather loudly. Paul had a nice talent for pointing out her flaws. She didn't really have an answer for that, she knew she was. Dawn grabbed the pillow behind her, sliding off the couch. She felt around a midst the darkness and prayed to Arceus the fabric she was feeling was the bed. She climbed atop and laid down.

"I won't stop unless I can sleep here."

"Well, I can't really kick you out unless I want Ketchum to beat my ass to the ground."

"Oh? So you think Ash could beat you up?" There was a long pause. She could tell he turned to face her. She could see his shadowy figure prop himself on his elbow.

"No. It would just make me look like an asshole."

"You are an asshole-"

"Listen here, Princess. My bed, my rules. Go the fuck to sleep." She could feel his weight come down on the bed as his turned himself away from Dawn. She didn't need to say anything more, nor did she feel like it. Dawn was just glad to be in an actual bed. She'd get everything sorted out tomorrow...maybe she would keep this to herself. A secret she'd have to keep...she didn't want to worry her friends.


End file.
